Letter to Auditor General outlines allegations
Audit Office bullying allegations have been raised by Michalis Nikiforou, a seconded employee at Cyprus’s Audit Office, who claims serious breaches of legality, equal treatment and respect for his fundamental constitutional rights, alongside workplace bullying and political persecution.
Mr Nikiforou sets out his allegations in an extrajudicial statement and legal position included in a letter he sent to Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou on 29 December 2025, addressing his employment status.
He also copied the letter to the Director of the Public Works Department and the Secretary General of OEKDY SEK.
Service history and change in circumstances
Mr Nikiforou, who serves as a Construction Works Inspector, states that he has worked at the Audit Office on secondment from the Public Works Department since 2014.
He notes that after the dismissal of former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides in 2024, he continued to serve normally at the Audit Office with adjusted duties, without any official reprimand, disciplinary process or negative performance assessment.
Political activity linked to workplace treatment
According to his letter, in May 2025, a few days after he publicly and lawfully signed a statement supporting the founding of the ALMA political movement by Mr Michaelides, he was summoned to the Auditor General’s office.
He claims that the Auditor General asked him to justify his signature and linked his political stance to how the service treated him. Mr Nikiforou describes this as an indirect but clear warning regarding his political activity.
Allegations of pressure and targeting
Mr Nikiforou also refers to further incidents, including repeated invitations to private meetings with the Auditor General, which he describes as pressurising. He alleges targeted behaviour linked to his exercise of constitutionally protected political rights, questioning akin to an investigation, a sudden and unjustified transfer, and the denial of direct communication with the Director of his original department.
Taken together, he states, these actions objectively exceed the limits of lawful administrative supervision and amount to Audit Office bullying.
Disputed transfer and claims of political persecution
Mr Nikiforou further claims that references he made to a possible transfer resulted from the alleged workplace bullying rather than from a free decision on his part.
He says the Auditor General did not allow him to contact the Director of the Public Works Department directly and instead contacted the Director himself to arrange his immediate transfer. Mr Nikiforou describes this development as political persecution, noting that the previous day the media had published his inclusion on the ALMA Movement’s electoral list.
He also states that the Auditor General presented him with a letter ordering his immediate transfer a few days later. Under conditions of surprise, cumulative pressure and psychological strain, he claims he verbally agreed, but this consent did not reflect free will. He adds that on the same day he informed the Auditor General in writing that he did not consent to the transfer.
Requests and legal follow-up
Mr Nikiforou is seeking the immediate provision of a certified copy of the letter sent or intended for the Public Works Department regarding his transfer, a written and specific justification for the move, and the suspension of any further action until the authorities provide a written response.
In a follow-up letter one month later, his lawyer, Artemis Artemiou, reminded the Auditor General that he had not issued an official reply and requested a written position within a reasonable timeframe. Failing that, the letter states, Mr Nikiforou reserves the right to pursue all lawful action to protect his rights and interests before the competent authorities.
The Cyprus News Agency contacted the Office of the Auditor General, which said that, for now, the Auditor General would not comment.
Source: CNA
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